That sounds exactly like it is for me. I have a very small family. My parents are gone and so is my brother. I just have my sister, whom is the only one I'm in touch with. I have an older brother; and he does not want anything to do with us. I have some cousins but I'm not in touch with any of them.

My sister has given me lectures on how important family is. But what my family means to me is about what can I do for them. I feel like I'm the one who has to put myself out for them. They won't put themselves out for me. For example: my sister expects me to visit her every year (she lives 3000 miles away) but she will never visit me because she and her family don't have money. I don't think that's fair that I have to spend the money to go visit them and they will not do the same for me.

Also with my sister, she expects that someday I should move to where she is. I lived there and hated it. I never want to go back there and I know I will not enjoy being with her and her family.

When my late brother was alive, it had to go on his terms on how we can get together. He and lived about 120 miles away. I was never crazy about him, never mind living fairly close. He would never come to visit me just for a few hours, which is what I preferred. He always expected to stay with me for two days at least. I couldn't stand being with him for two hours enough as it was. And then, when he complained to my sister about it, she would stick up for him.

As they say, family can either be a blessing or a burden. I feel like you can have your family to fall back on if you're not doing well with friends. But it's hard when you're not crazy about your family. Well, that's the position I'm in.